Ray Lewis Celebrates its Namesake with Memorabilia Display
Students at Ray Lewis elementary with the plaqued articles by reporter John Kernaghan, centre.
The story of Ray Lewis – a Hamilton hero who won Olympics medals at a time of great racial prejudice – will hang in one more place of honour at Ray Lewis Elementary School’s library from now on.
Community builder and former track star Cecelia Carter-Smith visited Ray Lewis school, on the south Mountain, to present the students with plaqued copies of a 2001 Hamilton Spectator series featuring the life of the first Canadian-born black Olympic medalist.
Hamilton-born Ray Lewis, the great-grandson of escaped slaves, won a bronze track-and-field medal at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and a silver one at the 1934 British Empire Games. A member of the Order of Canada, he was a railway porter for the Canadian Pacific Railway for 22 years, and excelled in sports despite racism and prejudice.
“They chose your man, Ray Lewis, as the greatest Hamiltonian for 2015,” Carter-Smith explained to the students during the presentation ceremony. She spoke of how Lewis was celebrated on George Hamilton Day this year, after local residents selected him in a historical society poll.
In addition to the series of Spectator stories about Lewis, former reporter John Kernaghan spoke of how touching it was for Ray and his wife to welcome him into their family for the in-depth series. A band of Ray Lewis school graduates played several upbeat tunes, and Carter-Smith also donated a 1932 Olympics program to the school.
The collection will hang in the school library for all to see, read and admire.
Updated on Tuesday, October 27, 2015.